Fishery Reports

Rutland Water In spite of the hot conditions anglers have been finding the techniques to catch bag limits throughout the week. The hot news is that bank fishing is thriving in easterly winds. Bank report Last week’s suggestion that the fish might appear at the Dam if the easterly wind persisted came to fruition this week.On Tuesday a vast number of both rainbows and browns turned up at the Fantasy Island end of the dam with the area resembling a fish farm at feeding time! Ted Kuzniar from Melton caught his limit of well seasoned stock rainbows in the morning. These fish moved and pulled all day and were caught on all manner of patterns – buzzers being most effective. A change of wind on Friday pulled them away. However, with the return of the easterlies they were back home again on Saturday night! In the previous week John Dracup, season ticket holder from Oakham, caught the best fish here, a brown of 5lb 6oz on a suspender hares ear. The fish was very silvery and gave John a great battle before burying its head in the weed. This brownie, and another of 4lb 6oz, caught since then, had been feeding on the hordes of fry here. However, despite plenty of offers on surface fished patterns on Sunday, John found the fish harder to hook.

On Sunday morning one angler caught three nice rainbows including an over wintered specimen on an orange lure on a sink tip line very close in to the Dam itself. The fish here have been coming close in to the fringe of week around Fantasy Island after the fry. There are weed beds in other areas and these may also be worth a try in an offshore wind. These fry are growing quickly and should be a useful food item for the fish at the back end. Boat fishing is thriving with Leicester anglers Lee Henfrey and Dave Glover both taking their limits last Sunday in seriously hot conditions, using sinking lines. It was Dave’s first trip to Rutland Water and he took rainbows to 5lb. Warren Scott, of Corbridge, Newcastle, is taking his annual two week fishing break at Rutland. Following on from his big catches last week Warren took an eight fish limit on Thursday from down the south arm. Di 7 lines with minkies and gold/silver tubes proved very successful for Rutland regulars and boat partners Ray Garrod and Mick Atkinson. The pair had eleven fish to 5lb on a very hot Saturday last week fishing around Browns Island. Mike Burnside and Ricky Richardson fished in similar circumstances to take ten fish between them.

The Earlier last week saw plenty of cloud cover and good numbers of fish moving down the south arm and along the dam and main basin. Fish were feeding on masses of hover flies and buzzers. Later in the week with very hot, bright conditions anglers resorted to fast sinking lines and lures. Water clarity is excellent with visibility around 6 to 8 feet. best rainbow 4lb 6oz Taken by P Harding of Belper best brown 5lb 6oz taken by John Dracup of Oakham best boat areas Old Hall to Brown Island, Manton Bay, Main Basin, Fishing Lodge frontage best bank areas. Dam, Fantasy island, Normanton, Old Hall best methods. Bank – floating line with nymphs, dries, hover flies boat – similar, but with fast sinking lines in deep water




Grafham Water The weather at Grafham Water this week has been considerably less than favourable to any angler with a maximum high of 29 degrees with hardly a breath of wind and no cloud cover the reservoir has fished surprisingly well with a rod average of 2.37. The majority of anglers have had their success fishing ginger or claret hoppers on a floating line being pulled slowly just below surface with a diawl bach and a sparsely tied hares ear on the middle dropper and point. This method has worked at most areas of the reservoir with the north dam, willows, K and G buoys and the slicks producing the best bags of fish from this method. The only other method that has had any consistent form is fishing the boils on an intermediate or medium sink line with cats whisker and sparkler boobies. The best bag of the week was caught by J W Campbell from Northumbria fishing this method - an excellent bag weight of 8 fish for 21lb 3oz.
The bank fishing has got a bit patchy with only the dam producing any catches. Local angler Gordon Watson from Stirtlo had a very different morning’s fishing on the south end of the dam when he caught 26 fish comprising of 2 bream, 10 perch and 14 zander on an intermediate line and his damsel nymph. So even if the trout aren’t biting the fishing can still be exciting! best bank areas The dam, G bank best boat areas K, G buoys, the boils (no anchoring), the slicks best methods, floating line, Diawl bachs, damsel nymphs, hoppers, hares ears. Slime lines, medium sink, diawl bachs, damsel nymphs, cats, tubes, boobies, minkies.






Ravensthorpe Reservoir continues to provide high quality fishing with an excellent return of 5.8 for the week. The Coton end shallows have produced numerous outstanding full tailed rainbows taken on dries and lures at varying depths in changeable conditions.Colin England and Toby Plummer returned this week for another exciting morning session boating 50 fish anchored in the boils. Terry McQuire of Northampton, in his first season of angling, caught the best fish of the week – a 10lb 1oz rainbow boat fishing the Coton End. Terry used a size 10 cats whisker on a floating line. Top flies this week were daddies, orange hoppers, flashback damsels, GRHE, green diawls and black and green lures. best rainbow 10lb 1oz taken by Terry McQuire of Northampton with a cats whisker on a floating line from a boat. Best boat areas Coton end and boils. Best bank areas dam wall near tower best methods, daddies, orange hoppers, flashback damsels, GRHE, green diawls and black and green lures






Pitsford Water hosted the busiest competition week of the year. The first match of the week was the Royal Oak Angling Club. 14 anglers managed 34 fish giving a rod average of 2.2. The biggest fish of the day went jointly to John Foster and Tim Ward who both caught a fish weighing 3lb 5oz. Wayne Lewin weighed in 6 for 12lb 12oz. England Disabled Flyfishers held a club day at Pitsford on Wednesday. 29 Anglers caught 38 fish. Star of the show was ex chairman Eddie Gray who caught 8 fish weighing 15lb. This match was followed by a buffet tea in the Woolnough Room. 15 anglers turned out for the penultimate match in the Wednesday boat league. Mark Fountain from Holcot won his first ever boat league match. He weighed in 4 fish for 8lb 8oz. This coming Wednesday 11 August is the final match in the series. Why not join us for the final results and presentation of prizes in the White Swan.





Coarse fishing

Taverham Mill Season ticket holder Ben Howarth enjoyed several nights on the mills last week with seven carp under his belt. His top two weights were 22lb 2oz and 22lb. Warden Mat Playford managed to get the carp feeding off the top and was rewarded with 3 carp to 18lb 7oz. Mark Grey had a 19lb 4oz carp. The leader board in the Nash Carp masters has changed to show the carp caught by Ben Howarth this week Richard Idell 24lb 11oz Ben Howarth 22lb 2oz Ben Howarth 22lb Chris Pratt 21lb 12oz Pete Ingram 21lb Some small barbel have been reported from the river over the weekend with some good Chub catches.




Ardleigh There has been some outstanding sport for anglers at Ardleigh over the last two weeks with excellent catches of bream, perch and rudd reported. Best of the action was in last weekend’s open with Dan Hamilton weighing in 120lb 10 oz of bream to just pip Ralph Larkin who also broke the tonne barrier with 104lb of bream. It was nice to see that every angler managed to bring something to the scales. Strangely this form proved elusive for last Sunday’s match run by Joes Road A/C. Winner this time was G. Hill with 9lb 3 oz made up entirely of perch.



Top area at the moment is the stretch between Noahs Ark and Pine Point. Brian Hunt and Jo Bull had over 50 perch between them along with several roach and rudd. Shaun Plumb fished in the shallower water and had around 100lb of bream and Lee Ransom reports 25 perch to 1½lb, six hybrids and some rudd. A few pike have also been coming out with Graham Sharp landing a nice 13lb fish from Wick Lane.



Watermarks Little Horseshoe Lake South Cerney Tom White fishing with a Cotswold Baits Creation Tock special boily took a carp of 24-3-0 another carp of 20-4-0 was taken by a day ticket angler. On lake 11 Some excellent tench being caught, summer pike fishing is good, one angler taking 4 fish for 84lbs best at 25-4-0 for further details telephone Philip Leibbrandt on 07711 51 3462. day tickets will cost just £10-00. There is a good tackle shop on site which stocks not only a good selection of tackle but also the full range of Cotswold Bait Creations.



River Teme Some good barbel being caught on rolling meat baits, and bread crust. John Timmins had a double figure barbel of 11-4-0 on legered lobworm. I have always found lobworms a good bait on this river. With so much of my time spent tench fishing, travelling abroad and chasing chub this year I haven't been able to fish the Teme or the Kennet as I have in other years. If your a member of Prince Albert AS who wants to catch a barbel. I suggest you try the River Teme, I consider these barbel the toughest fighting barbel in the country.



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